Electrical connecter device



Sepi. 16, R924. i,58,765

R. B. BENJAMIN ET AL.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTER nzvxcz F1166 y 10 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 16. 1924. 15%,766

' R. B. BENJAMIN ET AL- ELECTRICAL CONNECTBR DEVICE F1196 y 1O 1920 3 ShQOiI-ShQQt 2 Inventors:

Sapt. 16, B924. mamas R. B. BENJAMIN ET AL.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTEH DEVICE Fil 3 10 1920 3 Shasta-Sheet 3 Pmven't'ors:

Patented Ficpt. 31.5,

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGO, AND

one-screen. wnnivnn, or BERWYN, ILLI- nois. assrenons To BENJAMIN ELECTRIC manual lemmas COMPANY, or CHI- GAGO, rumors, A oonronerron or rumors.

nnncrnrceri commerce DEVICE.

Application filed May 10,

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, REUBEN B. BENJA- arm. a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, and CHnsTnr. E. WARNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berwyn, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Connecter Devices of which the following is a full,' clear, concise, and exact description. reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

Our invention relates to electrical connccter devices, and more specifically that type of electrical connecter device known as plug clusters. 7

One of the objects of our invention is to provide-an improved electrical connecter device which will be durable and efiicient in use. simple in construction and cheap to manufacture.

Further objects will appear from the detailed description to follow and from the appended claims.

In the drawings in which two embodiments of our invention are shown:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a plug cluster;

Fig. 2 is an axial section of the plug cluster shown in Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the receptacle portion of the plug cluster .g

Fig. 4: is a side elevational view'of the plug cluster, part being broken away to show the interior construction;

Fig. 5 is bot-tom plan view of part of the device;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of part of the switch mechanism; 7 r

Fig. 8 is a vertical section substantially on the line 88 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a vertical. section substantially on the line 99 of Fig. 3; I

Fig. 10 is a plan view of part of a receptaole, showing another embodiment of our Invention Fig. 11 is a. side elevational view of the plural receptacles shown in Fig. 10 part being broken away; and

Fig. 12 is aperspective view of a detail.

In order to give a general ideaof the construction shown, and referring first to the 1920. Serial No. 380,378.

form shown in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, the construction here shown is an electr cal connecter device, having a plug portion for screwing into an Edison socket, two receptacle portions 01": the Edison type, and two.

switch mechanisms, one for each of the two receptacle portions for controlling the circuit from the plug portion to these. recep tacle portions respectively. The plug portion of the device is of the swivel shell con- 'tact' type, that is, the threaded shell contact is swiveled on the device, so that it can be screwed into the'so'cket without rotating the receptacle part of the device, and so that after the screw-shell contact is screwed into the socket the receptacle portion can be turned to any desired position to bring the pull chains of the switch mechanism to the desired location, Both of the threaded shell contacts of the receptacle portion are permanently electrically connected with the threaded shellcontact of the plug portion.

the two switch mechanisms being interposed between the center contact of the plug portion and the two center contact of tacle portion respectively.

Referring now to the drawings in detail,

the plug portion of the device comprises a substantially cylindricalinsulating base 10.,

the'recepa center contactmember 11; supported by the I insulating base 10. and a threaded shell contact member 12 surrounding the insulating base 10 and swiveled with respect thereto, whereby the contact 12 can be screwed into an Edison socket without rotating thein-v sulating base 10. g

The receptacle portion of the device com prises a one-piece insulating base 13,? pair of Edison sockets 14 and 15, extending at an angle with respect to each other and a pair of switch mechanisms 16 and 17 located in recesses in the insulating base 13, and con trolling the circuit between the center con- I tact 11-of the plug and the center contact 18 and 19 respectively of the receptacles M and 15.

The insulating base 13 and the parts directly supported thereby are supported f from the plug portion by means of a yokeshaped metal stamping 2 0, and a pair of screws 21 and 22, which parts 20 and 21 also serve to electrically connect the threaded shell receptacle contacts l' l'and 15 with the threaded shell plug contact 12. (See part1cu larly Fig... 2.) Inorder to ail'ord an electrical connection between the yoke member and the plug threaded shell contact 12, a sheet metal conducting member 23 18 secured i of the plug) and the lower portion. of which ,is riveted as indicated at 28, to hold the yoke 20 in place. A. washer 29 is provided vto forman extended bearing for the rivet,

and an insulating disc 30 is interposed between the washer29 and the annular portion 26 of the yoke 20 for insulating the washer from the yoke. The threaded shell contacts 14 and-15 are electrically connected with the screws 21'and 22 respectively, by means of integral ears'31 and 32 'respettively, having openings, through which the screws 21 and 22 extend; these screws havingtheir upper ends threaded into the 'yoke'20.

The switch mechanism for controlling the circuit from the plug center contact 11 to the receptacle center contacts 13 and 19 will now be described. These two switch mechanism 16 and 17 are similar in construction, and a description of one will suiiice for both. A common support is provided for the two switch shaftspthis common support being shown in perspective in Fig. 7Q This shaft support also forms part of the electrica-l connection from the center contact oppositely stamped-up bearing portions 34- .and 35 respectively, forming bearings for threaded shank 33, by means of which it is secured to the insulating base 1" and two the switch shafts 36 and 3'7 respectively oi the switch mechanisms 16 and 17 respec tively. It is electrically connected with the center contact 11*by meansof a pair ot channel-shaped spring tongues 38 which haveja telescopic engagement with the tu- .bular member 27. The two'switch shafts 36 and 37 are thus electrically connected with. the center contact 11; Forsecuringthe stamping in place, the shank 33 is inserted through'an opening in the insulatingbase, and a nut 33*- is-threaded on to the end of the shank. r I

Each of the switch mechanisms 16 and 17 comprises in addition to the switch shafts 36 and 37 a-spring contact member 39 (Fig.

a commutator 39 for making and breakmg the circuit between the contact .39 an the switch shafts 36 and 37 and mechanism 40 for imparting a step-by-step movement to the commutator 39 The commutator 39 comprises an insulating brush-carrier 41, and a semi-circular brush or contact i2, eccentrically secured on the'brush-carrier 4:1. This contact or brush 42 is always electrically connected with the switch shaft (36 or 37) by means of an integral inwardly-entendingarm ti (Fig. The brush or contact 4:2 is alternately moved into and out o t contact with respect to the spring contact member 39 by means of the ratchetmechanism 40. This step-by-step ratchet mechanism 40 comprises a pull chain 4:4, a chain rail 45, to which the pull chain a4: is secured, and a coil torsion spring 46 for returning the pull chain a l: after it has been pulled down manually. Each downward pull oi the chain 44 moves the brush-carrier 39" half a revolution. hen the pull chain is released, the spring as returns the chain rail and chain, the brush carrier 39*, however, remaining stationary; during this return movement. from returning with the chain rail by means of the spring. contact member 39,

'which snaps oil from the shoulder 47 or the shoulder 48, when the chain 44 is pulled, and

engages behind one of these shoulders to prevent a return movement. or" the brush-- carrier. The spring contact 38 alternately snaps oil from the brush 42 .onto 'the'insulating brush-carrier 39 and from 'the'insulating brush-carrier 39 into engagement The brush-carrier is prevented with the brush 42. The spring contact member is so constructed that a substantially simultaneous double break is effectedin the circuit this being accomplished by providingt-wo springtongues 49 and 50 respec 'tively, the spring tongue 4-9 cooperating with the brush 4:2, and the spring tongue 50 cooperating with a contact portion 51, whichis struck up from the stamping 52, which secures the contact member 39 in position; The tension in the contactmember 39 is such that as the spring contact finger 4C9 snaps oft behind the shoulder 48, the springcon- 'tact finger 50 will simultaneously be jerked away from the contact member 51, sothat there will be a breakboth between the contact 4:2 and the spring contact finger't9 and between the spring contact finger and the contact member 51. The base portion 53 of the member 39 is held under the spring securing member ;52 but is insulated there The securing rename of the center contacts 18 and 19 are formed as a part of a sheet metal stamping, having an ear-portion 56 through Whichthe screw extends, and a strap portion 5? connecting the ear-portion 56 with the center contact propen I p v I A spherical sheet-metal housing is provided for the receptacle portion of the device, this housing comprising a lower hen1ispherical portion 58, permanently secured to the insulating baselfi, and an upper hemispherical portion 59 detachably secured to the lower hemispherical portion 58. A pair oi. tubular sheet-metal sleeves 60 are provided for housing the threaded shell .receptacle contacts is and 15 respectively, these sleeves being insulated from the threaded shell contact by means of fibre cups or sleeves 61. The outside sheet-metal sleeves 80 are secured to the hemispherical housing member 58 by means of anoutside annular bead 62. and an inside annular flange 63. I

The threaded shell contact the plug is provided with an annular insulating thumb piece M for use in screwing the shell into the socket and with an insulating collar to insulate the outer end of the shell contact 12. The lower hemispherical housing 58 is secured in place on the insulating base 13 by having its upper edge flanged over an annular shoulder 66 on the insulating base 1.3 as indicated at 67. The upper hemispherical portion 59 has a skirt portion 68 which fits down over the upper edge of the lower hemispherical portion 58.

It will. be noted that thelower portion of the plug cluster including the insulating base 13, the spherical casing, the receptacle contacts and the switch mechanism can be readily disconnected from the plug portion of the plug cluster simply by unscrewing the screws 21 and 22. The hemispherical portion 59 can come off along with the insulating base 13, as it has a pair ofnotches 69 in its upper edge, which permit it to slip past the lugs 70 of the yoke 20. After the insulating base 18 and the parts carried thereby have been thus disconnected from the plug portion, the hemispherical portion 59 of the cover can be easily slipped off from the insulating base 13, thus giving access to, the switch mechanisms 16 and 17 tor inspection or for any desired purpose.

The circuit has been outlined in connection with the description of the construction, and is from the center contact 11 through the tubular member 27, the channelshaped contact fingers 38, bearing portion 34 or 85, switch shaft 86 or 87, contact member or brush 4C2, spring contact members 39, contact member 51', screw 55, center contacts 18 and 19, through whatever translating device may be inserted in the socket to shell contacts 14- and 15, screw 21 or 22,

yoke member 20 and conducting memberv 23 to the threaded shell contact 12 ofvthe plug.

The plug cluster may be connected up with an Edison socket by taking holdof the spherical casing" and holding it in one hand, and screwing the threaded shell contact 12 into the socket with the other hand.

The switch mechanism is moved to on' or oil position by pulling down on the chain 14-, to control the circuit between the center contact ll of the plug and the center contacts 18 and l9 oi": the receptacles. I in the form or my invention shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12, the constrhction is substantiallythe same as in the form previousl described, except that instead'of having means for screwing into an Edison socket,

means are proyided for securing the device to a threaded nippleandwiring terminals are PIOVltlQCl'fOl' the feed wires.

The switch mechanismls substaiitially the alternately V same as in the form previously described,

except that in this form the shaft bearing member 7i (see Fig.12) instead of having a siring contact member at its upper end, is providedwitlr bracket 72 terminating in a binding plate 73, into which the binding screw 7st is threaded, the binding plate nating "in upwardly extending lugs 76 for portion 83 of the lower hemispherical por-' tion 81, so that by pressing inwardly on the flexible portion 83 the projection 82 will be disengaged from the registering opening, to permit the parts'to be separated. A suitable engagement may be provided on the side opposite the projection 82, which will be constructed so that releasing the projection 82 Will permit the disengagement of the opposite side of the hemispherical casing portions 80 and 81.

In wiring the device, the upper hemisphericalcasing portion 80 is removed, the feed wires are led down through the opening in the bushing 84,and secured underneath the binding. screws 74 and 79' respectively, the bushing 84 is then screwed into place on the nipplethrough which the feed wires are led, and the. lower hemispherical part of the electrical circuit.

portion 81 of the casing is secured to the upper hemispherical portion 80. v

The circuit from the member 71 to the yoke member 78 is substantially the same as the circuit from the switch member to the yoke member 20 in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive. 7

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is:

l. A plural switch receptacle comprising two receptacles and two switch mechanisms for controlling the circuit to said receptacles respectively, said switch mechanisms comprising a pair of switch shafts, one for each receptacle, and an integral bearing memher having a bearing for each of said switch shafts. I

2. A plural switch receptacle comprising two. receptacles, and two switch mechanisms for controlling the circuitto said receptacles respectively, said switch :mecha'nisms comprising two switch shafts and an integral metal bearing member having two bearing portions, one for each; switch shaft, said bearing'member and switch shafts forming 8. A plug receptacle comprising, a' plug portion "having a tubular member of conducting material extending therethrough, saidareceptacle portion having a switch mechanism comprising a switch shaft and a sheet metal stamping provided with a bearing portion for said switch shaft, said bearing portion having a contact tongue secured thereto and extending up into said tubular member.

l. A'plural sw tch receptacle comprising two receptacles and two switch mechanisms for controlling the c1rcu1t.to said receptacles respectively, said switch mechanisms comprising a pair of switch shafts, one for each receptacle, and an integral bearing member having bearing for each of said switch shafts, said bearing member being of sheet material, and said bearing portions being struck up therefrom and lying in different parallel planes offset with respect to each other.

5. A plural switch receptacle comprising two receptacles and two switch mechanisms for controlling the circuit to said receptacles respectively, said switch mechanisms comprising a pair of switchshafts, one for each receptacle, and an integral bearing member having a bearing for each of said switch shafts, said bearing member having a shank for use in mechanically connecting said rer' ceptacle portion to said plug portion comprising a metal member electrically connected with said plug shell contact and with said receptacle shell contact.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names.

, REUBEN B.,BENJAMIN.

onnsrnn E. WARNER. 

